Off-reservation casino offers gains to Fond du Lac economy

Wednesday, February 15, 2012  

Off-reservation gaming has been beneficial for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians in Minnesota.

Thanks to the Fond-du-Luth Casino in Duluth, the tribe has pumped a half a billion dollars into the reservation over the last 20 years, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. The tribe is now the second biggest employer in the region.

The revenue has changed the nature of the reservation. Tribal members who grew up in poverty now have access to better schools and new housing.

"It was neat to see the casino for the first time, to see the neon glowing at night, and think, 'Wow, this is ours,'" Dan Huculak, who moved back to the reservation, told the paper.

Tribal members benefit directly from gaming revenues. The paper said per capita payments come to $400 a month.

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